Snow... She should have grown used to it by now, after all snowfall was a natural occurrence in Pergrande, but even then it had something special for the young dragon girl. The way it blanketed the world, the gentle chill that cooled her scales, it was no understatement to say that Ryuko liked snow.

A hand raised into the sky as she grasped toward the falling snowflakes and slowly lowered her hand down again. This was not the time to be sentimental. She had to prepare for her own tasks ahead.

Ascending into her throne room Ryuko took a seat, her gaze softening for a moment at the marble table at the other side of the room. Her ambitions were set in motion, and she was one step closer to see the Age of Dragons return. But for the next part she had to be careful. Although Pergrande was currently in a state of tense quiet after her recent conquest of the surrounding provinces, it was only a matter of time before the pleas for help from the remaining provinces would provoke a civil war.

For the time being, perhaps by a stroke of luck all eyes were cast upon Iceberg. The whispers of the dead rising from their grave had reached all the way to even the Dragon Order, and so did her informants whisper that a particular guild in Fiore was starting to make movements related to that news.

Politics, she was not exactly a fan of it, but she understood the necessity of it. Sometimes words could solve a matter easier than a showing of strength, and there were benefits to having allies. Although Fiore was an unpredictable factor, a nation split into various different factions- guilds with their own morals, goals and ideals. Which was also the very reason she was about to prepare for this event.

She needed a champion, a stout and valiant warrior who was willing to be her herald for what was to come. Did the Monarch have such a person? She closed her eyes, allowing the memories of Bahamut to drift through her mind. There were many who had pledged themselves to Bahamut, entire armies even but this one... this champion needed to be special. It was in that moment, as she thought these words that a memory occupied her mind.

"Are you sure?" A masculine voice asked to the armor-clad woman whose gaze drifted quietly across the battlefield. "Aye Bahamut, while I am humbled at the thought of being your successor, I feel that I am not the right person. My loyalty and halberd were always yours, but deep inside I long to simply continue doing that. To be your champion and vanquish worthy enemies upon which to test my skills. Certainly, to see the dawn of your dream would be nice, but if I was the one leading that charge I would inevitably find myself come to a halt out of the fear of losing a worthy opponent during these period of peace."

A hearty laugh came from the masculine voice. "I see, torn between duty and your love for battle. I hope my successor will be a worthy Monarch for you to follow then..."

As the memory ended Ryuko could feel the lingering soul in her magic, and as if beckoned the shadows in front of her started to shift and distort: a summoning.

The same woman appeared before her, clad in armor and holding a glorious halberd from which the banner of a long forgotten faction lingered.

"You called, Monarch?"

The words were calm, collected even as the woman bend a knee before her. "You are-" Ryuko's words were interrupted by the woman. "I am Bahamut's lance, if you seek to name me, then please just call me Lancer. I have long abandoned my origins, and neither desire or seek to see them returned."

Ryuko nodded her head firmly at these words. "Lancer it is then. I will need for you to travel to Fiore." The words made the woman pause, a frown upon her visage. "Although your control over Bahamut's magic has improved, I don't think you could let us wander that far."

But Ryuko merely smiled, a hand shifting to the side from which a beautiful cape emerged, one that as she rose from her seat decided to hand over to the woman.

"It has been a long time since I saw that cape..." Lancer mused in nostalgia, while Ryuko merely continued. "I will need for you to travel to the north, find the domain of the guild that calls themselves 'Paradise Dawn', seek out their leader and convey my offer to form an alliance. As you travel I will bestow more knowledge of my plans so that you know what to say."

The Lancer nodded her head, a short pause following. "And if any of their members refuse to let me meet her?" Ryuko paused for a moment, a hand raised to her chin. "Well, I will need you to meet their leader personally, I believe she is called Lumikki. If hostilities break out you are permitted to display your strength, as long as it doesn't harm our potential ties to them."

The woman's face seemed to become more lively upon hearing these words. "So I got permission to engage in combat?" Oh boy, this woman was going to be a handful to deal with in the future... "Aye, but make sure to consider who you are dealing with, and make certain your message is delivered, it takes effort to resummon one as strong as yourself."

Lancer nodded her head firmly. "Your wish is my command, Monarch Ryuko. I will now depart for the north." Ryuko raised a hand, stopping the Lancer from leaving the room. "Take one of the wyverns, I can't have you travel all the way on foot now..."

And so her plans were set in motion... One step at a time toward her ambitions.

--------
WC: 1000 < used for training.